Raspberry Lemonade

There is nothing better than a cool refreshing glass of lemonade on a hot summer day. When you elevate it to the next level by adding in another fruit and oh my goodness. During a heat wave like what we are going through right now I try to keep lemonade on hand to help keep the heat at bay.

I have a love/hate relationship with the heat. I love summer and all that goes along with it but when the heat gets excessive I struggle and have a hard time. So when the temperature soars in the upper 90's you won't see me out and about too much. I am perfectly content to sit right here in my air conditioning and stay cool.

This raspberry lemonade is super easy to make. I just use my basic lemonade recipe and add pureed raspberries. Raspberries are loaded with seeds so you will need to strain the puree through a fine mesh strainer. If you are unable to pick up fresh berries, don't fret. Frozen berries work excellent in this. Raspberries are picked at the peak of freshness and then frozen. A fresh and fruity drink is always an easy way to impress your guests without a lot of fuss.

Make simple syrup by heating the sugar and
water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved completely. Set aside to cool. While the sugar is dissolving,
use a juicer to extract the juice from 4 to 6 lemons, enough for one cup of
juice. Place the raspberries in a food
processor and blend until smooth. Strain the berries through a fine mesh
strainer to remove seeds. Add the berries, lemon juice and the simple syrup to
a pitcher. Add 3 to 4 cups of cold
water, more or less to the desired strength. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes. If
the lemonade is a little sweet for your taste, add a little more straight lemon
juice to it. Serve with ice, sliced lemons, and garnish with fresh mint.